On September 30, 2014 | By Maryellen Lazzaro | Design, Editorial, Hospitals, Infographics, Newsletters, Tips
Are You Marketing Your Patient Portal?
The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act authorized the federal government to spend billions of dollars to incentivize the widespread adoption of the electronic health record (EHR). Funds are available to healthcare providers who meet certain “Meaningful Use” objectives.
“Meaningful Use” is a list of specific objectives that have been rolled out over the years that allow a provider to prove that they are using the EHR to improve quality, safety and efficiency, and reduce health disparities; to engage patients and family; and to improve care coordination, and population and public health. Without going into more detail than space allows here, it is fair to say that healthcare providers are increasingly finding that many of these objectives are nearly impossible to achieve without a patient portal.
A patient portal is a secure online website that gives patients convenient 24-hour access to personal health information (for instance, recent doctor visits, allergies, immunizations, lab results), sometimes along with other access (such as the ability to email providers, request prescription refills or schedule appointments, or fill out forms ahead of visits). With patient portal implementation, a healthcare organization or practice can enhance patient-provider communication, empower patients, support care between visits and improve outcomes.
But a patient portal is only as good as the number of patients who sign up for it and use it (and Meaningful Use criteria looks at the enrollment percentages). We are now helping clients market their patient portals in carefully considered ways by highlighting the benefits to patients through promotional materials, posters, direct mail campaigns, infographics and stories in newsletters (the latter two, shown here), among other marketing efforts.
> If you need help marketing your patient portal, give Lazzaro Designs a call or shoot us an email.
The Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center wanted a residency recruiting brochure to effectively sell their educational programs to graduating medical students applying for residencies. When considering a significant brochure, many clients have a knee-jerk instinct to fill the first few pages with messages from important people.
We just delivered the February edition of Gazette (shown top, right), the employee newsletter for St. John’s Episcopal Hospital. Customized employee newsletters function on several levels: They communicate important messages, such as reiterating service standards or building pride in the organization; they help employees know they are appreciated and recognized; and they serve as an internal marketing tool, since often hospital employees are patients, as well.